Find out how popular the last name Yehl is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Yehl.

Yehl, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Yehl surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Yehl in America

Yehl is the 61123rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Yehl surname appeared 329 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Yehl.

We can also compare 2010 data for Yehl to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Yehl

The surname Yehl is believed to have its origins in Germany, dating back to the medieval period. The name is particularly associated with the regions of Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria. It is derived from an old Germanic word, potentially linked to the word "jäh," which means sudden or abrupt. Variant spellings such as Yahl, Jahl, and Jahel have been noted in historical records, reflecting the linguistic variations over time.

The name Yehl first appears in recorded history in the 13th century. Manuscripts from the period mention a Hans Jahl, a local landowner in the region of Swabia around the year 1273. Another early mention comes from a tax register in Bavaria dated 1321, listing a Wilhelm Johel as one of the assessed landholders.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name in church records is Johann Yehl, born in 1489 in the region of Württemberg. He served as a notable parish priest until his death in 1556, leaving behind a series of sermons that were published posthumously. Historical documents also mention a merchant named Ernst Jähel, born in 1545 in Nuremberg, who participated in several trade missions across Europe until his death in 1603.

The name continued to appear in various forms throughout the centuries. An interesting historical figure is Maria Yehl, born in 1632 in Heidelberg. She became known for her contributions to local education, helping to establish one of the first girls’ schools in the region. She passed away in 1701, with her philanthropic endeavors remembered in local chronicles.

In the 18th century, the name appears in American immigration records, signifying the movement of families from Germany to the New World. Johann Georg Yehl, born in 1709 in the Rhineland-Palatinate, emigrated to Pennsylvania in 1742. He became a prominent farmer and community leader, passing away in 1781.

Another notable 18th-century figure includes Friedrich Wilhelm Yehl, born in 1765 in Munich. He was a well-regarded composer and musician, contributing to the cultural life of the Bavarian court. His work remains archived in several European libraries, and he passed away in 1830.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Yehl

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Yehl.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Yehl was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Yehl has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Yehl was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Yehl, please contact us.

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